THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



gently undulating : much denser than the ground-tissue : swell- 

 ing at the boundary of each ring : uniform in size and regularly 

 spaced, though apparently otherwise : lighter than the ground 

 and shining. 



Rings. Very clear in transparent section, but not always in 

 the solid wood : boundary, a fine, clear line of Autumn wood, 

 rather wider than the rays : contour regular. 



Soft-tissue. Occasional cells only. 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. Lighter in shade than the Transverse section. 

 Pores just visible, a multitude of fine, shining scratches, covering 

 the greater part of the surface. Rays very prominent and beauti- 

 ful, lustrous, pinkish flakes, not sharply contrasting with the 

 ground. Rings faintly indicated, more clearly traceable where 

 they cross the rays, which seem to be darkened by them. This 

 peculiarity is very noticeable in slowly grown wood. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the pores are rather less 

 visible. Rays, short, light brown, broadly spindle-shaped lines, 

 occupying about half of the entire surface : 1-2 mm. high by 0'2 

 mm. broad : cells not visible with lens. Rings inconspicuous, 

 narrow bands or loops. 



Type specimen authenticated by Hough ; also others from 

 commercial sources. 



No. 182. THE EASTERN PLANE TREE. Platanus 

 orientalis. Linn. 

 Plate XIII. Fig. 115. 



Natural Order. Platanacese. 



Synonym. P. acerifolia, Willd. 



Alternative Names. Lace-wood : Maple-leaved Plane-tree : 

 Platane d'Orient (69). Plataan at the Cape of Good Hope. 



Sources of Supply. Europe and the Levant : North Coast of 

 Africa. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry- weight 30^.42 lbs. per 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 8, compare White Pine. Smell none 

 when dry : when green, " nach Rossdunger " (87). Taste very 

 faintly astringent. Burns very well and quietly with a faint 

 smell, embers glow in still air. Solution faint brownish. 



Grain. Fine but open. Surface of the rays lustrous, but of 

 the ground rather dull. 



Bark. Greyish, deciduous in large flakes, leaving the newly- 

 exposed bark in patches of varied colour. 



Uses, etc. Cabinet-making, brush-backs, turnery. A wood 

 of great beauty, " but durable only in dry situations " (87). " Less 

 liable to decay in wet situations " (69). These contradictory 



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